I Remember Munich
by rankamateur
Summary: Reboden terrorists grab Amanda and then decide to keep her. But you know Amanda never stays put.
1. Default Chapter

I Remember Munich - Now  
  
by rankamateur  
  
Scarecrow and Mrs. King belong to Warner Bros. and Shoot The Moon Enterprises Ltd.  
  
I have borrowed some characters from "The Times They Are a Changing", by Mark Lisson and Bill Froelich  
  
Strictly AU  
  
References to "Our Man In Tegernsee", by Juanita Bartlett  
  
References to "I Am Not Now Nor Have I Ever Been - A Spy", by Peter Lefcourt  
  
PG-ish  
  
Sometime in the Third Season  
  
Reboden terrorists grab Amanda and then decide to keep her. But you know Amanda never stays put.  
  
Thanks to randibaby for some error trapping. All remaining errors are mine.  
  
---------------------  
  
"Gosh, here we are, back in Munich," Amanda said excitedly, as she took in the sights through the window of their rental car.  
  
"After your last trip, I'm a little surprised that you're so happy to be here," Lee observed, thinking of the morning he went to bail Amanda out of the Munich jail.  
  
"Well, that's not one of my better memories. But we actually spent most of our time in that little resort town, not in Munich. Besides, this time Mr. Melrose said I had to come along as part of your cover. Mother and the boys are so jealous. They would have loved to come too, but I told them IFF wouldn't pay for all of us."  
  
"Yeah, well, you wouldn't want them here anyway. Don't forget, we're not here to enjoy ourselves. We're here because those Reboden crazies have our man, Curt Hoffman."  
  
"I know that, Lee. And I'm sure that you're worried about Mr. Hoffman. But don't worry. We'll find him."  
  
"It's been ten days and the Agency people here haven't any idea where he's being held." Lee gripped the steering wheel just a little tighter. "I hope you're right, Amanda, but it doesn't look good."  
  
Amanda smiled encouragingly and decided to change the subject. "Lee, it's very nice riding around in a Mercedes, but isn't it awfully expensive?"  
  
"Not really. Besides, driving a dark Mercedes like this, we blend right in."  
  
Amanda looked at the cars around them. "Ya know, you're right," she said, grinning. "They're practically all Mercedes."  
  
Lee had to smile. He never got tired of Amanda's cheerfulness and enthusiasm. She was on her way to becoming an agent '...and a damn good one..,' he thought. He hoped she would never lose those qualities, which were so rare in this business.  
  
  
  
"OK," Lee pointed, "there's our hotel, up there on the right."  
  
--------------  
  
After registering as "Leo Steadman" and "Amanda Keene", Lee and Amanda were taken up to their rooms. Fritz, the smiling bellman, led them from the elevator and down the hallway. He stopped first at Amanda's room and took her suitcases and deposited them on the small luggage rack, which was located near the large closet. He then opened the door of the adjoining suite for Lee and took the remaining cases inside. After receiving a generous tip, he was on his way. The rooms had connecting doors. Lee unlocked his side but said nothing to Amanda about unlocking her side. He unpacked in his usual quick and efficient manner and then he stepped into the hallway and knocked on the door of Amanda's suite. After a moment, the door opened and she motioned him into the room.  
  
"When you're finished unpacking, how about going out to eat and then we can take a little drive before heading to the Agency? Or would you prefer to take a nap. That was kind of a long flight."  
  
"Food sounds great. I'm not really that tired. More excited than tired. Let's eat and then drive around a little."  
  
"You got it."  
  
After a lovely lunch in the hotel dining room, they drove around Munich, much as any ordinary tourists might. Driving down a quiet street, Lee showed Amanda a garden, actually a church yard, which, he told her, was used as a drop by US agents.   
  
"The Church of St. Arminius. It's beautiful," Amanda said in a hushed tone.  
  
"Yes, it is," Lee agreed.   
  
-----------------  
  
The Munich branch of The Agency did business behind the facade of another, ordinary business -a travel agency - *Smyth's Top O' The Line Tours*. The German intelligence authorities looked the other way, as long as the American agents did nothing to compromise their government's policies.  
  
Lee led Amanda to a row of shelves on a slightly raised platform. "Come on, step up," he said as he held her elbow. She did so and he pressed a hidden button. The wall began to move and quickly made a full turn, so that they were now on the other side. The area resembled the Agency's DC facility, only much smaller of course. But they had communications, records, medical testing and treatment; banks of computers. Everything a well-run espionage unit would require.   
  
Amanda was impressed. "Do they actually make travel arrangements?"  
  
"Well, mostly for our own people. As far as the general public is concerned, our prices are not very competitive.  
  
Lee and Amanda were filled in by Stephan Gareheardt, head of the Agency's Munich office.   
  
"There isn't much to tell. Hoffman was last seen at Dietzel's biergarten on the outskirts of the city. He has not been seen since and the Reboden Group claims to have him. They will trade him for the release of Baron Von Eiger from prison."  
  
"What does agent Hoffman look like?" Amanda asked   
  
"Here, Mrs. King, here is his picture," Gareheardt said, producing a photo from his desk.  
  
"Gosh, he doesn't look old enough to be an agent," Amanda observed. "Does he have a family?"  
  
"No," Stephan answered. "He is, like your Mr. Stetson, single - so far."  
  
Amanda blushed. "No, he's not my...my Mr. Stetson."  
  
"No," Lee quickly agreed.  
  
"Forgive me, Frau...ahh, Mrs. King. I meant *your* in the sense of the Agency's Mr. Stetson. I was using *your* in the plural sense. Please, forgive my poor use of English."  
  
"Oh, not at all." Amanda looked rather sheepish. "Your English is excellent. Much better than my German. Of course, I don't really speak German....."  
  
"Amanda.....please. Can we get on with this?"  
  
"Sure." She began studying her hands.  
  
"Have you talked with the Baron?" Lee paced the small office.  
  
"Yes," Stephan nodded his head affirmatively, "I went to the prison myself. Of course, he denies any knowledge of the plot. He won't even admit that it is the remnants of his organization that are involved."  
  
"So we're basically nowhere," Lee observed.  
  
"So far, I am afraid that you are correct."  
  
"Well, we're going back to the hotel to get some rest. Tonight we'll hit Dietzel's and see if we can come up with anything. After this length of time, I'm afraid the trail is pretty cold."  
  
"Good luck to both of you. Goodbye Mrs. King. It was so nice to meet you." Stephan took her hand and raised it to his lips.  
  
"Bye, Mr. Gareheardt. It's nice to meet you too."  
  
'Boy,' Lee thought. 'What is it with these Europeans? They all think they're....they're Charles Boyer or something!'  
  
-----------  
  
"Amanda....," Lee called through the connecting door to her room.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Why don't you open this door and then I won't have to..." The door opened, revealing a smiling Amanda on the other side. "...yell. Ahh, how about we grab a bite of dinner and then go out to that beer garden where Hoffman was last seen?"  
  
"Sounds good to me. I was just about to get into the shower. Umm, how about half an hour and I'll be ready?"  
  
"See you then," he winked and closed his door.  
  
  
  
After dinner, Lee and Amanda drove out to Dietzel's Biergarten. They saw no one they knew and none of the employees they asked could recall seeing agent Hoffman on that particular night. It was obvious that they were getting nowhere.  
  
"Lee."  
  
"What?"  
  
"All of a sudden, I think I'm suffering from really bad jetlag. Could we go home, I mean go back to the hotel now?" Amanda tried to stifle a yawn, which of course caused Lee to yawn too.  
  
"Yeah, let's go. Tomorrow is another day. Who said that?" he asked rhetorically.  
  
The next morning, refreshed after a good nights sleep, they drove around Munich, stopping at that church with the beautiful garden, which Lee had pointed out when they were driving around the day before. There were pathways between the neatly kept rows of flowers. There was a small pool with a fountain and benches located at intervals. It was altogether a most pleasant place to spend a little time. Besides being a drop site, it was also a meeting place. They sat on a bench near the fountain and Lee showed Amanda where messages could be left.   
  
They basically wandered around Munich that whole day, checking some of the places that were known to have been frequented by Curt Hoffman. Actually, they were *rechecking* places that had already been checked by other agents.   
  
They stopped at a small cafe for lunch and then continued their fruitless search of Munich.  
  
That night they went back to Dietzel's. Nothing. No leads. Amanda could tell that Lee was getting frustrated and angry.   
  
"Why were we sent on this assignment? We're just as helpless as the local Agency people. Maybe more so. At least they know the town and they know the players, a lot better than we do."  
  
"You're right, Lee. There doesn't seem to be a logical reason for us to be here. Except that we both know the Baron. Of course, he's in jail. If he has anything to do with kidnapping Mr. Hoffman, there isn't anything we could do about it. We can't exactly walk into that prison and force him to confess."  
  
"Let's head back to the hotel. I'm kind a tired again - or still." Lee put the car in gear and started out in the direction of the hotel.  
  
--------------  
  
Inga Staatz, who had been arrested along with the Baron and Ortiz, had been released on a technicality. After being informed, by a very reliable source, that she was being observed by Interpol agents, she kept a very low profile. She got a job as a waitress, a room in a small residential hotel and seemed to live a quiet, normal life. Except for contacting a distant cousin, she apparently had few friends and no one really close. The distant cousin was, in fact, Hans Von Eiger, cousin of Baron Von Eiger and the son of the Baron's Uncle Klaus. Hans had succeeded the Baron as the leader and financier of the Reboden Group. This Von Eiger used the alias *Hans Gruenwald*. Hans had managed to avoid open contact with those members of the Reboden group who remained at large. None of the authorities, neither police nor intelligence, had ever found sufficient grounds to question him and certainly not enough to arrest him.  
  
The Agency did, however, maintain a file on Hans Von Eiger, a.k.a. Gruenwald. A file that had been initiated by Curt Hoffman.  
  
------------------  
  
Amanda knocked on the connecting door between their rooms.  
  
"Come on in," Lee called from the bathroom. "I'll be out in a minute."  
  
Amanda entered and sat in the chair by the desk.   
  
Lee emerged from the bathroom in his robe, drying his wet hair, obviously just out of the shower. "What's up?"  
  
"Lee, we're not having any luck at all. Do you think it would be OK if I just sort of took the morning off and did a little sight-seeing, maybe a little shopping?"  
  
"OK. Do you want me to drop you somewhere?"  
  
"No, that's all right. I've been checking the bus schedules and I can get where I want to go on my own."  
  
"Well, if you're sure. I'm going into the office and talk with Stephan, see if he's come up with anything new. Why don't we meet back here at say one o'clock for lunch."  
  
"Deal," she smiled. "See you later."  
  
---------------  
  
After leaving the Glockenspiel, Amanda walked for several blocks, window shopping. She finally came to a charming little coffeehouse. Entering, she sat down at a table and ordered coffee and a pastry. She decided a trip to the restroom was in order, before the coffee. She didn't notice the woman who had been following her for several blocks and who took a seat a few tables away from her. Amanda did not recognize the now dark-haired, conservatively dressed Inga Staatz, as the person who had been the Reboden Group's most deadly assassin. The terrorist who had been so eager to kill her, the last time their paths had crossed; *and* the waitress who had served her, and Lee, at lunch yesterday.  
  
Inga followed Amanda into the ladies room of the little coffeehouse. Shoving a gun into Amanda's ribs, she ordered her out the back door of the restaurant and into the alley where a car driven by an accomplice, one Johannes Getz, was waiting.   
  
'It was nice of The Agency to send Stetson and King to Munich,' Inga thought. What better bargaining chips could they have then the two agents responsible for sending the Baron to prison.  
  
After driving to an unassuming neighborhood, the car carrying the two terrorists and Amanda, finally pulled into the driveway of a modest house.   
  
"Out of the car, Frau King," Inga said, waving the pistol at Amanda.  
  
She did as she was ordered and, with Inga pressing the gun into her back, she entered the house.   
  
Inga and Johannes shoved Amanda into a small bedroom and locked the door. After what seemed like hours, Amanda heard someone approaching and the door was unlocked. A tall man, with dark hair, who looked vaguely familiar, stood there, motioning her to come out of the room.  
  
"Good evening, Mrs. King. Welcome. My home is your home," the man said smiling.   
  
Amanda thought that he looked very much like Baron Von Eiger. She had no doubt that her captors were members of the Reboden group. She now realized that the dark-haired woman was Inga, the blond who had been so eager to kill her and Lee when they were prisoners in the Baron's home.   
  
"We need to ask you a few questions and, since we are fairly sure you will not cooperate, we have a little something to help you talk."  
  
Even after administering several doses of truth serum, they learned very little.   
  
Every time they asked about The Agency, Amanda would talk about some *travel* agency. She would not admit to having a code name. She seemed to have no knowledge of Agency codes. When Hans asked her about them, she kept talking about a *Francine* and a *card* of some sort. She could tell them nothing about current Agency operations or investigations, other than the one into the disappearance of Curt Hoffman, which, of course, they already knew about.  
  
Johannes and Inga, wanted to use Amanda as bait to catch Lee. The third henchman, Jurgen Meier, agreed.  
  
"It makes sense Hans," Meier pointed out. "We know they have worked together for several years. They must be partners. Stetson would no doubt give himself to us in order to save the King woman."  
  
Hans Von Eiger, however, wanted to keep her for himself. He was already interested in her, based on what his cousin, the Baron, had told him about Mrs. King.   
  
"Listen, all of you, don't you think it would be fitting retribution for Klauses imprisonment, to have me keep Mrs. King as my.... ahh, my servant - until I get tired of her, anyway."  
  
Sensing that it was an argument they couldn't win, the three reluctantly agreed that Hans should keep Mrs. King. For the time being.   
  
"Very good. We will begin a series of treatments. Johannes, you know which drugs to administer so that she will lose her memory. She will know and accept only what we tell her."  
  
Amanda was taken back to the bedroom where her hands and feet were tied. "Just in case you get any ideas," Hans explained.  
  
Johannes gave her an injection. After about twenty minutes, he and Hans returned to the room. They told her over and over again that she was Anna Gruenwald, an American, married to a German citizen, Hans Gruenwald. They lived in the States for many years and just returned to Munich a few weeks ago. Since their return, she had been ill with a high fever, which has caused her continuing problems with her memory. She has been taking medication, which will help her memory problem.  
  
The next morning Hans and Johannes began the memory retraining again. After a half an hour, Hans motioned to Johannes to follow him out of the room.  
  
"I must leave now. I will be gone most of the day on business. You will continue the sessions. Keep working on this *kleine fabel* - Frau Gruenwald. I plan to leave for my country house in about a week. She should be a nice, cooperative little hausfrau by then," he laughed.   
  
-------------------------------  
  
Inga was murderously jealous of Hans' interest in Amanda. She was in love with him herself and she was not about to let another woman come between them. She didn't want Amanda in Hans' country home, even on a temporary basis. If there was to be a mistress of the Von Eiger estate, it would be her or no one.  
  
She had begun to form a plan to kill Amanda. First she had to arrange things so that Amanda would be left alone in the house.  
  
She decided on a ruse, a false signal calling for a meeting with some of the Reboden members in Austria who had gotten into trouble and needed to contact Hans for help.   
  
Inga left the house and drove around for a while. She then returned and called Johannes and Jurgen to the living room.  
  
"I met this morning with our regular courier and received a message from him. Some of our comrades in Austria are in danger from Interpol. They wish to meet with us, especially with Hans, for advice and money, in case they have to leave the area. I have arranged the meeting for the day after tomorrow in the late morning. They will wait for us, well, for you, since I *must* go to work that day, in Bad Reichenhall. It is only about twenty kilometers from Salzburg. There should be no problems."  
  
"You will not be going with us?" Jurgen asked.  
  
"No, I cannot take any more time away from work or they will dismiss me. I need that job. Not only for a cover, but for the money too. I need to pay my rent and eat."  
  
"I have told you, my dear," Johannes grinned mischievously, "I will pay your bills, if you will only......'  
  
"I will *not* only.... Just forget about that."  
  
The third day of Amanda's captivity was spent in much the same way as the previous days. Drugs were administered and the litany of her new identity was repeated over and over.  
  
"Herr Von Eiger," Johannes was very respectful of Hans. "I think we can start giving her the drug in pill form now. There is enough of the drug in her system through the injections that we need only give her a maintenance dose and that can be accomplished with pills. We can easily convince her to take the pills herself. She will administer her own memory loss."  
  
The following morning Inga left the house early, saying she had some errands to do before work.  
  
The men, Hans, Johannes and Jurgen left for Bad Reichhall. They arrived at the designated spot, a park which was nearly deserted, and waited - and waited - and waited. Hans and Johannes sat on a bench while Jurgen paced back and forth.  
  
"They are not coming. Inga must have made a mistake. Let us go back now."  
  
"You're right, Jurgen. Something has gone wrong. We will have to contact our courier and see what explanation he may have."  
  
Inga waited until she was sure Hans and the others had left before returning to the house. To her shock and surprise, Amanda was gone. She was more frightened than she had ever been in her life. She was terrified that Hans might discover that she arranged the phony meeting. He must never know that she had gone to the house and discovered that Amanda wasn't there. Inga began to seriously consider a trip to the north, where she had a few distant relatives.  
  
-------------  
  
Amanda awoke, dressed and, trying the door to her room, found it unlocked. She went into the living room, then the kitchen; then checked the other rooms. She seemed to be alone in the house.   
  
'It's such a lovely day,' she thought. 'I'm going to take a little walk. I really need some fresh air.' She found her purse, or what she assumed was her purse. It contained a wallet with a little bit of money, a small bottle of little white pills and some ID. Anna Gruenwald was the name on it. It had her age, height and weight and her picture. Not a very flattering photo, but it was her. Taking the purse and a sweater, which was laying on a chair, she walked out the front door and down the block. As she reached the corner, a bus was just picking up passengers. She got on and found a seat. After traveling for a few miles, the bus passed a church with a lovely garden attached. On an impulse Amanda got off the bus and began walking in the garden.   
  
---------------------------  
  
Lee parked the car, got out and stood for minute, undecided. Then he walked slowly toward the churchyard. He didn't know why he was here, really. Maybe because of the peace and serenity of the place. Maybe because it was one of the last places he and Amanda had been together. He was so deep in thought that he almost didn't see her. But he looked up and couldn't believe his eyes. There, just coming around the corner of the building was.........  
  
"Amanda, Amanda, it's me..," taking her hand, he pulled her into a niche in the wall of the church, where they couldn't easily be seen.  
  
"I'm sorry, I don't..."  
  
"Please, it's really me, Lee..."  
  
"Let go of me...let go of my arms..."  
  
"Oh, Amanda, I was so worried, I was going crazy...."   
  
Nothing the woman said was registering with Lee. He didn't even seem to realize that she was pushing against him, trying to free herself from his embrace. All he knew was that Amanda was there, in his arms and the guilt, worry and fear melted into relief and happiness. He leaned forward and kissed her. He was vaguely aware that she was still trying to say something and that she was pushing against his chest, but he didn't care. All he cared about at that moment was that she was there, safe and in his arms. When he finally broke the kiss, he looked into her eyes. He could see confusion and some fear too, but something about her expression, her posture told him that she would listen to him. He tried to say something..."Amanda, I...I was so afraid that I'd lost you...for good..." He knew he should say something more, that he should try and find out why she seemed to be resisting him but nothing came to mind and even if it had, his voice didn't seem to be working all that well, so he simply kissed her again. This time, although she wasn't exactly cooperating, she wasn't struggling either.  
  
Amanda thought this was wrong. This man she had never seen before in her life shouldn't be holding her like this and kissing her and telling her how afraid he had been and how worried he was about her. She didn't know him - and yet - there was something, something so deep in her mind - but there was something familiar about him. About the way his arms felt around her, about his voice, about the way he kissed her, she even thought the scent of his aftershave was familiar. When he finally ended the second kiss and stepped back just a bit, she looked at him.  
  
"Look, sir," she said as she reached up and gently wiped away a solitary tear that was making it's way down his cheek, "I can see that whoever this Amanda is, you care a great deal about her and you've been very worried about her, and I'm.....I'm sorry, but I'm not her. My name is Anna Gruenwald. I'm an American, married to a German national. We lived in the U.S. for many years and only recently returned to Munich. I've been ill with a very high fever since we got back and I have had some problems with my memory. I'm on medication for that."  
  
'She sounds like a recorded message,' Lee thought. "Look, sweethea...ahh, Amanda. Your name is Amanda King. You live in Arlington, Virginia with your mother, Dotty West, and your two sons, Philip and Jamie. Your EX-husband is Joe King. Umm, about two and half years ago, I was at the railroad station, trying to meet my contact, but I couldn't get to him. You came along.. I asked you to get on the train and give a package to the man in the red hat. You agreed to help me, but when you got on the train, ALL the men in the car had on red hats. Well, to make a long story short. You didn't deliver the package, but I found you and you helped solve the case. In fact, you saved my life. After that we started working together and we've worked together ever since."  
  
"What are you - some kind of detective?"  
  
"No. Well in way, I guess. I'm an intelligence operative for the U.S. government."  
  
"You're a spy?" she asked incredulously.  
  
"If you prefer that term, yes, I'm a spy and you're an agent too and a darn good one. And we had this conversation once before when you had amnesia."  
  
"If I'm such a good agent, how come I'm standing in a place I don't recognize with a man I don't remember, convinced that my name is Anna and I'm married to some German man? What do you mean we had this conversation before?"  
  
"That's my fault. I didn't keep my eye on you. I let you go off on your own. Obviously the bad guys were watching and they grabbed you. The *other* time was when you were grabbed by another bunch of terrorists and you got away from them but then you had a car accident. You hit your head and lost your memory for a few days. You didn't even remember me. I was really hurt."  
  
"How did the bad guys know who I was? I mean this time."  
  
"We were here in Munich back in '84. We captured Baron Von Eiger and several of his henchmen, and helped break up his terrorist organization."  
  
"Off hand, I'd say some of them got away."  
  
"You're right. Look, Amanda, please, come back with me the office and I'll prove to you that you are Amanda King and that you do know me. OK?" He took her hands in his and gave her a look he reserved only for her. "Please, trust me."  
  
His expression, the pleading look in his eyes, that phrase *trust me*, it was all too familiar, even if she had no conscious memory of him. "All right. Let's go to your office."   
  
"Good. Come on." He grabbed her hand and all but ran for his car.  
  
"Take it easy," Amanda was having a hard time keeping up. What's the hurry?"  
  
"Look, as soon as those scumbags find out you're gone, they're gonna start looking for you. And they may know about this *drop*. I want to get you out of here and back to the office."  
  
They arrived at the car and Lee helped Amanda into the passenger side, then ran around and got in the driver's seat. Soon they were on their way back to the agency - the travel agency.  
  
"I thought secret agents were supposed to be kind of low profile and, well, secret."  
  
"They are."  
  
"So how come you're driving a Mercedes Benz?"  
  
"For just that reason. I don't want to be conspicuous. We talked about this before. In this car we blend right in with the locals."  
  
"Oh," Amanda said, not recalling the conversation at all.  
  
-----------  
  
Arriving at the office, Lee led her to the revolving wall and into the inner sanctum of the Agency. Nothing was familiar to her.  
  
"This is Stephan Gareheardt, the head of our Munich branch. You met him a few days ago. Do you remember him?" Lee asked hopefully.  
  
"No. I'm really sorry but I don't remember Mr. Gareheardt or this place or anybody else I see in here. I've told you who I am. I am Anna Gruenwald, an American. I'm married to a German national. Hans Gruenwald. We only recently returned to Germany after many years of living in the States. I've been ill and I have problems with my memory, but I have medication for that." Finishing her recitation, Amanda opened her purse and took out a small bottle. She started to open it, intending to take one of the pills when Lee stopped her.  
  
"Wait, please. Let's have this stuff checked out before you take any more it. OK? Please, Amanda..."  
  
"But, I need...."  
  
"Amanda, please. For my peace of mind?"  
  
"Oh, all right. Go ahead and have it analyzed or whatever."  
  
Stephan gave the bottle of pills to one of his lab people. It didn't take too long to discover that the pills were a fairly new memory inhibitor.   
  
Marcus, the lab technician, came into Stephan's office without knocking. He explained just what the drug was and that it would probably be forty-eight to seventy- two hours before it was out of her system completely. This drug was something not available to the general public. The Reboden group obviously had connections in the pharmaceutical industry. Amanda was surprised and alarmed.  
  
"Amanda," Stephan began gently, "would you permit us to draw some blood. We would like to know just how much of this drug and what, if any, other drugs you may have in your system."  
  
"OK. *I'd* like to know what else is in my system." 


	2. Chapter 2 - Conclusion

"It seems obvious that you were given drugs to make you talk. I'm sure that's what we'll find in your bloodstream. And then they gave you something to make you forget. They were even continuing to control your memory by having you take the drug in pill form. These people are incredible!" Stephan was more than a little upset at the treatment received by this lovely and charming woman; who somehow didn't strike him as the usual Agency type.  
  
"Stephan," Lee said to agent Gareheardt, "we need to check the Agency's database for *Hans Gruenwald*. He may be real or the name may be an alias. If we have nothing, how about trying Interpol?"  
  
"Of course, I'll get right on it."  
  
"Oh, and I need to call Billy right now,"   
  
"Certainly, Mr. Stetson. That phone," he indicated a red phone on his desk, "is completely secure."  
  
"Thanks," Lee responded, as he began to dial Billy's private number.  
  
"Melrose."  
  
"Hey Billy, we found her - or she found me - or we found each other."  
  
"Lee, you've got Amanda? Oh, I'm so relieved. Of course, Scarecrow, you never should have lost her in the first place!"  
  
"I know," Lee said softly and contritely.   
  
Billy instantly regretted his little outburst. "It's worked out OK. So, how is she?"  
  
"Well, that's another thing. Whoever had her has given her something to erase her memory."  
  
"WHAT?"  
  
"Yeah, she doesn't remember me or the Agency or why we're here. She's been brainwashed into thinking she's someone named Anna Gruenwald. And she's married to a German national. She goes on like a broken record. You can tell this little story was drummed into her. Anyway, she had some pills in her purse, some new memory inhibitor, which she won't be taking any more. They drew some blood and it's being analyzed right now. The tech here thinks it'll be two or three days before the stuff is out of her system completely. Then we'll know if her memory is going to come back all at once or if she'll get it back in pieces, over time. Listen, would you send someone up to the Q-Bureau and get that picture that Amanda keeps there of her boys. And make a copy and fax it over here? It might help to see pictures of the kids."  
  
"That's just terrific. Well, I know there is nothing you can do to hurry the process along. Yes, I'll get a copy of that picture faxed over to you, ASAP. And I'll have Francine call Amanda's mother and tell her that, uhh, that...oh, that Amanda has a severe ear infection and she can't come home because she can't fly yet. Not until the infection is cleared up."  
  
"Good story, Billy. You could help out the boys in *scenarios*. I'll call you again tomorrow. Maybe I'll have something a little more encouraging to report. Oh, before I forget. I just figured out why we - Amanda and I - are here in Munich."  
  
"You're there to help locate agent Hoffman," Billy's voice betrayed the anxiety he felt at the lie he was telling.  
  
"No, we were sent over here as bait, because the Reboden bunch have Hoffman and they know us. They might even risk coming out in the open to get us. So, they did come out in the open and they got Amanda and so far, we've got zip. I hope Dr. Smyth is happy with his little plan."  
  
"OK, I can't confirm or deny your suspicions. But think about it. Some people might believe that someone in the Reboden bunch might recognize you and they *might* want revenge bad enough so that they would come out of hiding and try and grab you or Amanda. Anyway, Lee...."  
  
"Yeah, Billy?"  
  
"I know you're doing the best you can. When or if I guess, Amanda remembers me, tell her I said I'm glad she's OK."  
  
"I will. Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye, Scarecrow."  
  
Amanda had been sitting quietly, apparently lost in thought, the whole time Lee was on the phone. When Lee hung up, she looked at him and smiled.  
  
"You know," Amanda started, "this looks..."  
  
"Familiar," Lee interjected hopefully.  
  
"Ahh, no. I was going to say that it looks interesting, kind of exciting."  
  
"Oh, too bad!"  
  
"Mr. Stetson, I have found the information we were looking for. That name, Hans Gruenwald, is indeed an alias for Hans Von Eiger. The records show that he is a younger cousin of Baron Klaus Von Eiger. There is no proof, but it is suspected that he has taken his cousin's place in the Reboden Group. The records also indicate that he hasn't been seen for about the past three months. Here is a photo of Herr Von Eiger."  
  
"Good work, Stephan. At least we know who we're looking for and what he looks like. Amanda," Lee walked back over to where she was sitting, "does this guy look familiar?"  
  
Holding the photo and studying it carefully for a long minute, she sighed and handed the picture back to Lee. "No, I'm sorry, but he doesn't look familiar at all."   
  
"Stephan, I'm taking Amanda back to the hotel. I'd like you to post two of your men, your best men, near our room. Just in case. We don't know how or where they spotted her. They might know where we're staying."  
  
"I'll be happy to send two of my best. Agents Gottfried Freund and Heinrich Schmidt will be in a car right behind you when you leave here."  
  
"Thanks, Stephan," Lee said, extending his hand. The two men shook hands and then Stephan picked up the phone, as Lee helped Amanda to her feet and they headed out of the office and down the hall to the exit.  
  
----------------------  
  
Arriving back at their hotel, they took the elevator to the eighth floor.  
  
"Down this way. Here's your room," Lee said, unlocking the door and gesturing for Amanda to precede him. "Your things are in the closet, if you'd like to change."  
  
After rummaging through the clothes, which didn't look at all familiar, she picked out a blouse and a pair of slacks. "Think I'll take a shower and change," she said walking toward the door she assumed must be the bathroom.  
  
"Let's bag that dress and give it to the lab boys tomorrow," Lee called to Amanda.  
  
"Bag it?"  
  
"Yeah." Lee checked the closet shelf. "Here's one of those plastic bags the hotel provides in case you have something you want to send to have cleaned and pressed.  
  
"OK," she replied. "How about the slip? I'm pretty sure that it isn't mine."  
  
"Sure. We'll send 'em both in. Maybe they can come up with something. We sure don't have much now."  
  
After showering and changing into fresh clothes, Amanda came out of the bathroom and sat on the bed, towel drying her hair. They chatted amiably and Lee told her more about her family back in Arlington and about their working together. They were interrupted by a knock at the door.  
  
Amanda asked who was there.  
  
"Room service, madam," came the answer.  
  
Amanda started to say that she hadn't ordered anything when Lee stopped her.  
  
Standing close, he whispered in her ear, "tell him just a minute, go and unlock the door, then go into the bathroom, tell him to come on in and then shut the bathroom door and *stay* there until I tell you it's safe to come out. OK?"  
  
She nodded. "Just a minute." Crossing over to the door, she unlocked it and then turned and headed for the bathroom. "OK, come on in." With that she closed the door.  
  
The door to the room opened and a man in a waiter's outfit, pushing a dinner cart, entered. He stopped a few feet in and pushed the door, intending to shut it. As he did that, he pulled a gun from under one of the serving dishes. Before the door closed all the way, Lee took a step forward and held his pistol close to the man's temple. "Drop the gun, pal, or I will drop you," he said menacingly. The waiter did as he was told.  
  
"What is the problem sir? I'm only delivering dinner." He turned his head slightly and looked at the American, who was pointing a 9mm pistol at his head. Resistance seemed futile.  
  
"Oh right," Lee said incredulously. "The crime rate in this hotel is so bad that the waiters carry weapons for self-protection." Lee pointed at the man's gun, which lay on the floor. "And they even put silencers on them so they won't disturb the other guests!" He snorted in disgust at the stupidity of the man's comment. "Put your hands behind your head." As Lee cuffed the suspect, the door opened and agents Freund and Schmidt entered, guns drawn.  
  
"What have you got here, Stetson," Schmidt grinned.  
  
"A piece of trash. Take it downtown and dispose of it for me, will you boys?"  
  
"Sure," Freund said. "Come on you." With that he took the suspect out of the room.  
  
Lee turned to Schmidt. "How long can you keep him and question him?"  
  
"Not too long. As soon as he starts screaming for a lawyer, we'll probably have to call in the local police and turn him over. What have we got - impersonating a waiter and carrying a concealed weapon?"  
  
"How about turning him over to Friedrich Volkert at Interpol? You and Fred can run this guys prints and compare his mug shots. Maybe he'll match something in Interpol's files. Anyway, I want his picture. I want to show it to Amanda and see if he rings any bells."  
  
"She didn't see him just now?"  
  
"No, I told her to go in the bathroom and stay there and she actually did it. Hmmm," Lee said mostly to himself, "maybe this amnesia isn't such a bad thing."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Never mind. Just make sure you have a picture of this guy and anything else you can dig up on him so we - Amanda and I - can check it later. Oh, and take this and have your lab boys check it will you?"  
  
"Sure. What is it?"  
  
"It's the dress, uhh, and the, umm, slip, that those people gave Amanda to wear."  
  
"I will see to it. Goodbye and say goodbye to Mrs. King for me, will you?"  
  
"Sure." As the door closed behind agent Schmidt, Lee turned and called, "Amanda, you can come out now."  
  
"What happened? What took so long? What..."  
  
"That waiter was not a waiter. He probably was one of the Reboden. I want you to look at a picture of him later, but I didn't want him to see you. Ahh, Amanda, I want you to pack your things. We're moving to another hotel. I don't know how this guy found us. I don't know how they found you. I've been very careful about not being tailed, but I'd feel a lot better if we were someplace else."  
  
Lee made a call to another hotel on the other side of town. It took only a few minutes to confirm a room for that afternoon. After quickly packing their belongings, they left the room and took the elevator down to the parking garage. Lee had the suitcases and Amanda carried the garment bags, her overnight case and her purse. They made it to the car without incident and loaded the luggage into the trunk.  
  
"Are we skipping out on the bill?" Amanda asked with a raised eyebrow and a disapproving expression on her face.  
  
"No, we aren't. I'll have some one from the Agency go by tomorrow and explain that we were called back to the States suddenly - and they can pay the bill for us."  
  
"That's good. It wouldn't do much for German-American relations if we cheated the hotel."  
  
Lee drove out of town and then took another road back into the city.  
  
"My, you do know the scenic routes," Amanda commented wryly. "How much longer till we get where we're going?"  
  
"We'll be there soon. I wanted to make double sure that we weren't followed. I'm not going to tell the people at the Agency where we're staying."  
  
"Lee, don't tell me you don't trust your own agents?"  
  
"It's not that I don't trust them. It's just that...I'd feel better if we're the only ones who have our address. OK?"  
  
"Whatever you say. I'm the spy that got caught, remember?"  
  
"I remember. I remember everything. What do you remember? Anything yet?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Damn!"  
  
"Look, I'm sorry. I wish I *did* remember. You tell me I'm not who I thought I was, so now I don't know who I am and I'd really like to know who I am and what I do and ...."  
  
"Amanda," Lee stopped her ramble in mid-sentence, "please, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. That wasn't an accusation, believe me. It's just that I feel like it's my fault that you don't know who you are. I...I want you to remember so I can stop feeling guilty."  
  
"Oh," she patted his arm. "Don't feel guilty. I'm sure it *isn't* your fault. I mean, if I'm an agent too, then I should be able to take care of myself, right?"  
  
"Well," Lee said, glancing over at Amanda, "you're kind of an apprentice agent. And it's part of my job to watch out for you."  
  
"I think I just got demoted."  
  
-------------------  
  
After registering as Mr. and Mrs. Braun, they were shown to a very nice, double room.   
  
"Ahh, Lee....a double room...we're both staying in this room - together - all night?"  
  
"Yes. Amanda, we've done this many times before. Played husband and wife. It's perfectly all right. Your honor and your reputation have never been compromised, I promise," he gave her his most engaging, Boy Scout smile. He could see her relax a bit.  
  
"How about something to eat. There's a menu on the nightstand. See what you'd like and I'll call room service."  
  
"What? Can't we go down to the restaurant?"  
  
"I'd rather not. I'd feel better if we just stayed in our room. At least for now."  
  
After they had eaten and the waiter had returned and taken away the small table with the remnants of their dinner, Amanda began to pace the room.  
  
"Hey, what's the matter? Usually *I'm* the one who's pacing up and down, not you."  
  
"Well, I just can't sit still. I don't know why."  
  
"Maybe it's because of those drugs. The fact that your system is getting rid of them."  
  
"Could be. Whatever the reason....I sure would like to get out of here. This room seems so - so small."  
  
"Amanda, I really........"  
  
"Oh, please Lee, just for a while. Just downstairs. We don't have to leave the hotel."  
  
However he felt about the wisdom of her suggestion, he couldn't say no to her. "OK. We'll go down to the hotel bar and maybe have a glass of wine. But that's it. No further. Got it?"  
  
"OK," she smiled. "Thank you."  
  
'I hope I don't regret this.' Lee stood up and reached for her hand. "Let's go."  
  
They sat in a booth at the back of the bar enjoying a glass of white wine.  
After finishing her second glass of Riesling, Amanda stretched and looked over at Lee. "OK. I'm ready to go back up now."  
  
"Are you a little more relaxed?" he asked  
  
"Yup. I'm not really tired but I could probably sleep now."  
  
"Good." He dug in his pocket for a some change and left it on the table. They both stood and, with his hand on her elbow, they started back towards the elevators.  
  
"We should try and get some sleep. We'll have to go back to the office tomorrow. I want you to see the picture of that *waiter* and see if you can ID him."  
  
"Right. Do you want to shower first? Well, actually, I've already had a shower once today anyway and...."  
  
"No. You go ahead. I'll shower when you're finished."  
  
She gathered up her night things and started for the bathroom, but stopped and turned back to Lee. "Look, you kissed....Amanda....ahh, me, I guess, twice and you started to call her - me - sweetheart."  
  
"I, uhh..."   
  
She put up a hand to stop whatever denial he was about to make. "Just how closely do we work anyway? Are we - did - do we - ahh...."  
  
"We're partners and friends. You're the best friend I've ever had. But, we don't...we aren't...."  
  
"We aren't emotionally involved," she finished for him.  
  
"No, we aren't," Lee said, obviously wishing this conversation was over.  
  
"But the way you.... Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes I'm sure. It's just that I was so happy to see you. I, ahh, well you know that I feel responsible for you and I'd been so worried and............."  
  
"But those kisses didn't...."  
  
"It was just a friendly little kiss...."  
  
"Two kisses," she interjected.  
  
"OK, *two* friendly little kisses. That's all. Friendly."  
  
Amanda looked at him, her smile and the twinkle in her eyes registering more than a little skepticism.  
"I'll be out in just a few minutes. Then it's your turn."  
  
--------------------------------------  
  
The next morning they went back to the Office.  
  
"Stephan," Lee asked, " did your lab people get anything from that dress?"  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact. There was a homing device sewn into the collar."  
  
"Oh-oh."  
  
"Don't worry, it wasn't functioning properly. The battery was almost dead."  
  
"Thank goodness. Do you have the picture of that phony waiter?"  
  
"Yes, here it is."   
  
"Amanda. Here, take a look at this."  
  
Amanda took the photo of the man who had entered her room with the obvious intent of killing her. She studied the picture intently, her brow creased.....  
  
"Do you recognize.....," Lee started to ask, but she stopped him with a wave of her hand and continued to stare at the picture.  
  
Finally, you could almost see the light go on. "Yes. I remember him! And I also remember being in a small house. It was in a quiet neighborhood. I vaguely recall hearing a dog bark once, but no street noises, no kids playing, nobody talking outside. I don't remember being able to look out of a window."  
  
"That's great Amanda. Can you keep going?"  
  
"Yeah. There were three men. One was tall, slender with dark hair. I can't quite visualize his face. Darn it!  
  
"Frau King," Stephan produced the picture of Hans Von Eiger, whom she had been unable to recognize the first time she was shown the photo. "Look at this again, please."  
  
"That's him. The tall, dark haired man is Hans, the Baron's cousin. Let's see....the other two men...umm. One was named Johannes. Once he called him by his last name - Getz. He is about 5'10", medium build. He has light brown hair and brown eyes. I'd say he's thirtyish"  
  
As soon as she finished describing Johannes, Stephan and Lee both pointed to the picture of the waiter.  
  
"Of course! That's him. The third man is Jurgen - Jurgen Meier. He's close to forty. Probably about six feet tall and maybe about 175 pounds. He has light hair, light eyes and wears wire rim glasses. You know," she paused for a moment. "It was Johannes who gave me the injections and Hans seemed to ask him any questions he had about the drugs. Maybe this Johannes is a pharmacist or something."  
  
"That is excellent, Mrs. King. Continue."   
  
"Oh, and then of course there's Inga."  
  
"What?" Lee exclaimed. "You mean that blonde who wanted to kill us. Well, she wanted to kill everybody!"  
  
"That's her. She's the one who stuck a gun in my ribs at the restaurant."  
  
"Do you remember any more?" Stephan asked  
  
"Yes. I recall being alone in the house, which I thought was strange. It seemed like there was always someone around before. Anyway, I decided to go for a walk. As I was walking, I saw a bus, bus number Forty-Seven. Let's see... I got on and rode for, I'm not positive, maybe ten minutes, when the bus passed a church with a lovely big yard surrounding it. I got off and that's where I was when Lee found me - or we found each other." Amanda looked from Lee to Stephan with a big smile on her face. "Hey, I think I'm getting my memory back!"  
  
"Mrs. King, I would like to video tape your story, your, ah, testimony regarding this event. Then if, or should I say *when* we apprehend these terrorists, we will, as you Americans say, have the goods on them."  
  
Amanda recited the whole ordeal again for the camera. She hoped this would mean she would never have to come back to testify in any court case. Munich had lost some of its charm and another visit was not something she relished.  
  
"Amanda," Lee took her hands in his and asked tentatively, "do you remember me yet?"  
  
She looked into his beautiful hazel eyes and shook her head. "No, not really."  
  
He was crestfallen.  
  
"You know what I *do* remember though? They were going to ship me down to Hans' summer home as some kind of servant, or.....oh my gosh!"  
  
"Take it easy, Amanda," Lee said putting his hands on her shoulders. "I'm just thankful that it never got that far."  
  
"You and me both!" She shook her head as if to dispel this very unpleasant thought.  
  
"Amanda, I have another picture for you to look at. It's not very good quality. It's actually a facsimile of a copy of a picture back in our office in DC." Lee handed her the picture of Philip and Jamie. "Do you recognize them?"  
  
"Well, they look kind of familiar. But, it is a pretty bad picture. It's so dark. Can I keep it?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Good. Maybe if I keep looking at it, it'll come back to me."  
  
------------  
  
Stephan sent one of his men to obtain a bus schedule. They began tracing the route back from the church and soon had an approximate area for the house. With some further study and deduction, they were able to narrow down the possibilities. After driving around for about thirty minutes, Amanda spotted the house. Stephan got on his car phone and they waited until a team from Interpol and a special anti-terrorist unit from the Munich Police Department, commanded by Leutnant Dietrich Felder, could converge on the place. When there was no response to repeated calls for anyone on the inside to surrender, the police finally stormed the house, only to discover that it was empty. The Reboden gang was gone. However, Stephan pointed out, it would now be possible to charge them with kidnapping and administering drugs illegally, plus other charges.   
  
"When they are caught, they will be going to prison for a long time," Stephan said confidently.  
  
"Right," Lee looked disappointed. "Let's get out of here. We'll stop by the office in the morning and then we're catching a flight home tomorrow afternoon."  
  
-----------  
  
Gesturing for Lee and Amanda to sit down, Stephan had a grim expression on his face. "I...I have some bad news and some good news."  
  
"Sounds like maybe we should have the bad news first," Lee said apprehensively.  
  
"Early this morning, the local police found Curt Hoffman's body in a ditch near the side of the Autobahn, about twenty miles outside of Munich."  
  
"Oh, no." Tears came immediately to Amanda's eyes. Lee clenched his fists and lowered his head. "Damn," he said softly. "So, what's the good news?"  
  
"Well," Stephan began," this is what we have pieced together so far. It seems that Hans and Jurgen, together with two other men," he leaned over and read from a paper on his desk, "Erik Hellinger and Manfred Apfel, these are the two who had charge of keeping Curt a prisoner, ahh they, after dumping Curt's body, they drove to the Austrian border. It was decided that Hans, Jurgen and Erik would cross over on foot and Manfred would drive through the Border Control station. What Manfred had neglected to tell his employer was that he is a petty criminal, a smuggler with a police record. His face is known to the Border guards. At any rate, when he tried to cross, he was detained. He panicked and told the authorities where he was supposed to pick up Hans and the others. When the police got there, a gunfight ensued. Hans and Erik were wounded. The three of them were taken into custody and now all four of them are in jail in Austria."  
  
"What'll happen to them?" Amanda asked.  
  
"They will be returned to Munich to stand trial for kidnapping and murder. Manfred has agreed to turn States evidence against them. He knows of your kidnapping too, Mrs. King. But, of course, his testimony in your case would be only hearsay."  
  
"What about Inga," Lee wanted to know. "And how did they know where to find us?"  
  
"Apparently finding you was pure luck. Good luck for them - bad luck for you. Anyway, you had lunch at the restaurant where Inga worked as a waitress. She recognized you and called Johannes. He followed you and that morning when Mrs. King went out by herself, Johannes and Inga followed her. The rest you know.... As far as Inga is concerned, well, she has disappeared. But, rest assured, we will never stop looking for her."   
  
"Stephan," Lee stood, extending his hand. "It's been something, my friend. No reflection on you but I can honestly say that I hope I don't ever see you again. Unless you come to DC."  
  
Stephan smiled and stood, shaking hands with Lee and Amanda in turn. "Goodbye and a safe journey home to you both."  
  
----------  
  
They tried to settle in for what they knew would be a long flight home. After picking a magazine or two out of the pocket in the seat in front of her, Amanda sat back and closed her eyes.  
  
Lee looked over and realized that she was crying. "Hey, what's wrong?"  
  
"Oh, I was just thinking about that poor young man. He had so much of his life ahead of him."  
  
"I know, I know. Here, take my handkerchief."  
  
"Thanks." Amanda blotted her tears and managed a small smile.  
  
They were exhausted, emotionally if not physically.   
  
"Wait a minute," Lee said, reaching for the armrest. "Let me put this up and then...," he put his arms around her. "You just rest your head and try and get some sleep."  
Gladly leaning her head on his chest, she soon was asleep. After a short time, he dozed off too. It seemed like only a short time later, when Lee was disturbed by Amanda as she tried to get up without waking him.   
  
"I'm sorry. I hoped I could get up without bothering you. I need to go to the restroom."  
  
"That's OK," Lee stretched and yawned. Go ahead."  
  
Lee decided that the restroom wasn't a bad idea. He got up and headed down the aisle.   
When he returned to his seat, he found Amanda sitting there, looking at the fax of the picture of Philip and Jamie.   
  
"Lee, guess what?" She pointed to the picture of the boys. "I remember them....Philip and Jamie." Closing her eyes, she continued. "I can visualize them as babies and toddlers and, oh! I remember my mother too! It's wonderful!" She said with an ever-widening smile.  
  
"Yup, it's wonderful. How about me? Lee asked, a look of anticipation on his face.   
  
"No, not yet," she said apologetically, the smile fading quickly.  
  
-----------------  
  
After clearing U.S. Customs, Lee and Amanda walked into the large International Arrivals terminal. The first face Amanda saw was - Mr. Melrose - whom she immediately recognized as the Chief of Field Section and her boss. He was accompanied by an impeccably dressed and beautifully coifed blond, who Amanda knew was Francine Desmond. She of the acerbic wit, whose hobby seemed to be making snide remarks about Amanda and her suburban background.  
  
"Lee, I remember Mr. Melrose and Francine. I know who they are!" Amanda said excitedly.  
  
"That's great Amanda. We all work together. Do you remember me now?"   
  
"Nope." She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. "I'm so sorry."  
  
---------------------------  
  
The drive to Arlington was made mostly in silence. Billy preferred to have a formal debriefing the next morning when his two favorite agents would be rested. He hoped the extra time would help Amanda to recover more of her memory. He sensed that Lee was very upset that Amanda seemed to remember everybody except him.  
  
Arriving at 4247 Maplewood, Billy parked the car. Lee got out and took Amanda's luggage from the trunk of the car and carried it up to the porch.  
  
"Well, see you tomorrow. Get a good night's rest."  
  
"I will. You too. Thanks, Lee."  
  
The door opened and Dotty and the boys pounced on Amanda, each one trying to be the first to hug her and kiss her hello. It had been the longest ten days of their lives.  
Lee walked almost unnoticed back to the car and the three agents drove away.  
  
----------------  
  
The next morning's debriefing session was long and tiring for both Lee and Amanda.  
  
"All things considered, you two did a pretty good job over there," Billy said, folding his hands and smiling.  
  
"We were sent over there to rescue Hoffman, weren't we Billy? We didn't do that."  
  
Billy flinched under Lee's accusatory look. "You did a pretty good job, Scarecrow. Let's leave it at that."  
  
When they finally finished, Lee told Billy, Francine and Amanda that he intended to have a small memorial gathering for Curt Hoffman. It would be held at his apartment the day after tomorrow. He planned to invite a few of the other agents who knew of Curt, even if they didn't know him personally. Everyone agreed that it was a nice gesture.  
  
----------------------------  
  
TAG  
  
Sitting next to her mother, in the comfort of their family room, Amanda told Dotty that she was going over to Mr. Stetson's apartment that evening. He was having a small gathering of IFF employees to honor the memory of one of their European employees, who had been killed in a tragic accident while filming the documentary in Munich.  
  
"Oh, Amanda darling, how sad. Well, it sounds like a lovely idea. Will any of the poor soul's family be there?"  
  
"No Mother. His family is in Germany. This is just for the Americans who worked with him."  
  
"I see. You won't be too late will you?"   
  
"I don't think so, but don't wait up for me if I am late. It's not necessary."  
  
"All right. I won't." Dotty reached over and patted her daughter's hand. "It's so good to have you home, love."  
  
"It's good to *be* home." She smiled and gave her mother's hand a little squeeze.  
  
"Amanda, are you sure you're all right? You seem so - so preoccupied since you got back. Is something bothering you? I mean other than the death of your co-worker?"  
  
"I'm fine, Mother, really. It's just that...well," Amanda looked away, not focusing on anything in particular. "Did you ever have something - a word or a person - and it's right on the tip of your tongue, but you just can't remember it?"  
  
"Oh, yes. Drives me *crazy* when that happens."  
  
"Me too," Amanda said emphatically.   
  
"The best thing is not to try too hard. Just forget about it and it'll come to you."  
  
"Think so?" Amanda looked back at her mother.  
  
"It's worked for me many times," Dotty said smiling.   
  
-------------------------  
  
It was a quiet, rather somber affair. Even if they didn't know Curt Hoffman personally, this sort of thing hit far too close to home for all the agents.   
  
Billy and Francine were the last of the guests to leave.  
  
Lee and Amanda sat on the couch. Lee looked tired and dejected. He was beginning to be afraid that Amanda just didn't *want* to remember him. He wasn't sure he could handle that.  
  
"Well, you remember your family - your mother and the boys. You remember Billy and the Agency - Francine and even Dr. Smyth. You remember Joe King. I guess I'm the only one you *don't* recall. I wonder why.... Do you think maybe you're mad at me, subconsciously I mean, for getting you kidnapped?"  
  
Amanda shrugged. "No, I don't think I'm angry with you."  
  
"Well, trust me, if I'd had any idea that you would be in danger, I *never* would've let you go out alone."  
  
He realized that she seemed to be studying him. He forced a smile.   
  
"Trust you?" she stopped and looked at him. Her eyes widened.....  
  
"What?" His smile turned into a big, dimpled grin.  
  
"Trust you, trust you," she repeated again and again.   
Tears filled her eyes, as she was overwhelmed with the sudden recollection of who he was. "Oh my gosh, Mother was right!"   
  
"What does your mother...."  
  
Amanda interrupted him. "She said don't try so hard. So I stopped, but what you said just now....trust you. I *do* know you Lee. I have trusted you, I do trust you and I will always trust you." She hugged him briefly, then pulled back. "Lee Stetson. You're my partner and my friend - my...my very *best* friend."   
She put her hand on his arm and smiled as she said to herself, 'Oh yeah, my friend....and I think maybe a little bit more...'  
  
Lee covered her hand with his and looked directly into her eyes. "Welcome back.....Amanda," he said. 'Welcome back, my Amanda,' he thought.  
  
end 


End file.
